KM
Kendyl Matthews
  • Murfreesboro, TN

Kendyl Matthews of Murfreesboro, TN Chooses Service on Spring Break

2016 Apr 6

Kendyl Matthews, a Murfreesboro, TN (37129) native, chose service on Spring Break and traveled to Chicago, IL with other Belmont University students to participate in an "Immersion" service trip. The trips, sponsored by University Ministries, allowed Matthews and 34 other students to spend time serving at many sites including Cumberland Island, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Mobile, Alabama and Antigua, Guatemala.

The trips focused on service, as well as allowing students opportunities to participate in personal reflection time. In Georgia, students spent mornings cleaning up trails while the Belmont Wesley Fellowship traveled to the L'Arche community, a place where people with learning disabilities and special needs live together. Participating students were able to sing, bond and improve community relations with the members. Students on the Chicago trip partnered with Mission Year to teach English as a second language at two locations of the Tolton Center, and afternoons were spent tutoring at an after school program.

Jon Ashton, a participant in the Guatemala trip, wrote of his experience in the group's community blog saying, "Some of the best rewards in life have no price tag. I made new friends. I felt my faith renewed. I felt inspired to be a better student, a better healthcare provider, and a better man."

For additional student reflections on some of this year's trips, click here.